System and method for selectively executing a reboot request after a reset to power on state for a particular partition in a logically partitioned system

• US 7,146,515 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mehta, Chetan, Willoughby, David R., Miller, Milton Devon II, Harrington, Bradley Ryan, Randall, David Lee, Perez, Michael Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, TSE W
• Application Number:
  US10/177,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 713/2, 713/310, 713/324, 713/300, 714/1, 714/7
• US Class Current: 713/324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45575 Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are disclosed for executing a reliable warm reboot of one of multiple partitions included in a logically partitioned data processing system. The data processing system includes partition hardware. A request to reboot a particular partition is received within the partition where the particular partition includes multiple processors. Prior to executing the reboot request, the partition hardware is set to a predetermined state. The reboot request is then executed within the particular partition. The predetermined state is preferably achieved by resetting the partition hardware to a predetermined state.

Claims

1. A method for executing a reliable warm reboot of one of a plurality of logical partitions included in a logically partitioned data processing system, said system including partition hardware that is logically allocated to said plurality of logical partitions, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, within one of said plurality of logical partitions, a request to reboot said one of said plurality of logical partitions;

logically allocating a subset of said partition hardware to said one of said plurality of logical partitions, said subset including multiple processors that are logically allocated to said one of said plurality of logical partitions;

setting said subset of said partition hardware to a predetermined state prior to executing said request, said step of setting said subset to said predetermined state including setting said multiple processors to a power-on state prior to executing said request;

executing said request within said one of said plurality of logical partitions to reboot said one of said plurality of logical partitions, said one of said plurality of logical partitions being rebooted without rebooting other ones of said plurality of logical partitions wherein said entire data processing system is not rebooted when said one of said plurality of logical partitions is rebooted, wherein the step of setting said subset of said partition hardware to a predetermined state prior to executing said request further comprises the step of resetting said multiple processors included in said one of said plurality of logical partitions; and

allocating at least one I/O adapter to said one of said plurality of logical partitions wherein the step of setting said subset of said partition hardware to a predetermined state prior to executing said request further comprises the step of resetting said at least one I/O adapter.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of resetting said at least one I/O adapter further comprises the step of eliminating within said at least one I/O adapter a history of execution by said at least one I/O adapter.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of resetting said multiple processors further comprises the step of causing said at least one I/O adapter to cease transmitting I/O requests.

4. A system for executing a reliable warm reboot of one of a plurality of logical partitions included in a logically partitioned data processing system, said system including partition hardware that is logically allocated to said plurality of logical partitions, comprising:

one of said plurality of logical partitions receiving a request to reboot said one of said plurality of logical partitions;

a subset of said partition hardware being logically allocated to said one of said plurality of logical partitions, said subset including multiple processors that are logically allocated to said one of said plurality of logical partitions;

said subset of said partition hardware being set to a predetermined state, including said multiple processors being set to a power-on state, prior to executing said request;

said one of said plurality of logical partitions executing said request to reboot said one of said plurality of logical partitions, said one of said plurality of logical partitions being rebooted without rebooting other ones of said plurality of logical partitions wherein said entire data processing system is not rebooted when said one of said plurality of logical partitions is rebooted;

at least one I/O adapter being allocated to said one of said plurality of logical partitions;

said at least one I/O adapter being reset;

said partition hardware including a service processor;

said service processor for resetting said multiple processors included in said one of said plurality of logical partitions; and

said service processor for resetting said at least one I/O adapter, said at least one I/O adapter being allocated to said one of said plurality of logical partitions.

5. A computer program product for executing a reliable warm reboot of one of a plurality of logical partitions included in a logically partitioned data processing system, said system including partition hardware that is logically allocated to said plurality of logical partitions, said computer program product comprising:

instruction means for receiving, within one of said plurality of logical partitions, a request to reboot said one of said plurality of logical partitions;

instruction means for logically allocating a subset of said partition hardware to said one of said plurality of logical partitions, said subset including multiple processors that are logically allocated to said one of said plurality of logical partitions;

instruction means for setting said subset of said partition hardware to a predetermined state prior to executing said request, said instruction means for setting said subset to said predetermined state further including setting said multiple processors to a power-on state prior to executing said request;

instruction means for executing said request within said one of said plurality of logical partitions to reboot said one of said plurality of logical partitions, said one of said plurality of logical partitions being rebooted without rebooting other ones of said plurality of logical partitions wherein said entire data processing system is not rebooted when said one of said plurality of logical partitions is rebooted;

wherein said instruction means for setting said subset of said partition hardware to a predetermined state prior to executing said request further comprises instruction means for resetting said multiple processors included in said one of said plurality of logical partitions;

instruction means for allocating at least one I/O adapter to said one of said plurality of logical partitions; and

wherein said instruction means for setting said subset of said partition hardware to a predetermined state prior to executing said request further comprises instruction means for resetting said at least one I/O adapter.

6. The product according to claim 5, wherein said instruction means for resetting said at least one I/O adapter further comprises instruction means for eliminating within said at least one I/O adapter a history of execution by said at least one I/O adapter.

7. The product according to claim 5, wherein said instruction means for resetting said multiple processors further comprises instruction means for causing said at least one I/O adapter to cease transmitting I/O requests.